Democrat candidate for Governor (and Executive Councilor) Andu Volinsky has attempted to use the Coronavirus outbreak and response in New Hampshire for cross-political purposes. News 9, WMUR, has called him out and unexpectedly committed journalism.
Related: Volinsky and Feltes’ “False Narratives” About New Hampshire Take Another Punch to the Gut
News 9 Challenged Volinsky after he pushed out a press release from his campaign along with a letter using Executive Councilor Titel and address.
Volinsky’s campaign earlier Monday issued a press release titled: “Volinsky Calls on Sununu to Call Executive Council Into Session Tuesday or Wednesday to Stop COVID-19.”
The emailed release quoted Volinsky as saying, “Over the weekend, I’ve heard many concerns from Granite Staters worried about their health and economic security in the midst of the coronavirus crisis. …
Attached to the email was a letter to Gov. Chris Sununu that was not on campaign letterhead, but instead had a return address of “Andru Volinsky, Executive Councilor for District Two, PO Box 1181, Concord, NH 03302.”
WMUR called him for comment, but he said wouldn’t talk about it. They then emailed a list of questions to which the campaign has not responded.
- Why did this request go out as a letter on Executive Council stationary but attached to a campaign press release?
- Are you asking for the meeting as a councilor, or as a candidate, or both?
- Doesn’t putting the letter out as part of a campaign press release, rather than in your official capacity, politicize the request? If not, why not?
- Aren’t you entitled to be in on these meetings and conference calls that you ask about by virtue of your position as an elected member of the executive branch representing approximately one-fifth of the state?
I’m guessing, and I have no idea, that the answer to the last question is no, and Volinsky is angry because it’s cutting him out of the photo op. He’s a little man who chases political ambulances. And I have to wonder; did he piss off someone at WMUR?
Does someone at NH News 9 prefer Dirty Dan Feltes, his primary challenger?
Why else would New Hampshire’s liberal-leaning Hearst Media mouthpiece (WMUR) challenge Andru Volinsky’s motivations in a manner that favors Gov. Sununu v. Volinsky?
DoubleYouEmYouAre would much rather have a Democrat governor so why even bring it up? Few if any would have noticed or made it an issue with legs. But here we are, asking the questions asked by WMUR knowing the answers that WMUR has implied but not printed.
Andru Volinsky is leveraging fear and uncertainly to advance his political resume. Because, looking at the New Hampshire response, which in my opinion is extreme, there isn’t a heck of a lot of room for Volinsky to operate. That leaves him with his only play.
He wrote that he would not speak on the calls but added: “ … it is critically important that I, as a member of the Executive Branch, am kept fully informed.”
Actually it’s not. Few if any of your constituents even know what the Executive Council does or why we have it. You are politically persona non grata in this “crisis” business and it’s driving you crazy.
And WMUR of all places is calling you out on your weak leap for relevance.
I am amused.
https://twitter.com/GatesLucasNH/status/1239720798555955201
| WMUR